March Book Review- The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

For our first book we decided to read The Happiness Project. I have wanted to read this book since the first time I heard about it in 2011. I have to admit I had not heard much about it other than its name and that it was a bestseller.  The name intrigued me, not because I was unhappy but because I thought what could a “happiness project” entail?

As I started reading this book, all I could think of was all the people who I thought would enjoy and appreciate the book. Not only is it an easy read (which for me, means a lot), but it speaks to many of our common procrastinations and feelings. Speaking of feelings, mine ranged from anxiety to joy. While I read Gretchen Rubin’s bit on re-organizing I was in bed and about to go to sleep, I could not fall asleep because all I could think about were all the things I needed to do around the house but have been putting off.  The very next day after work I came home and organized a pile of paper I had been putting off for months. I felt much better about myself and continued to read that night, feeling much less anxious.

Some of her monthly goals were obviously different than mine would be as I am in a much different place in my life but even when I couldn't quite relate I still could usually find a connection and at the very least it made me think.

For example, I think I do plenty of fun things every week, and do not have a hard time listing activities that I think are fun; however her chapter on bringing more fun into her life made me think outside the box and think of things I LOVE to do but maybe don’t always make time for.

 Rubin keeps it all very relatable and as much as this project is about her, it becomes about us. With all the steps she takes throughout her year experiment, whether I agreed with them or not, the book still constantly made me think about my life and how I wish to improve it.

I hope that this inspires you to pick up a copy at the library or to go buy it from a used book store.

Election Breakdown, Part 2

I’m glad you stayed with me past that American Idol pun. Let’s continue our election saga. To begin, this is how government in Canada works in a nutshell:

Canada is a federal system. This means that we have two levels of government (Provincial and Federal) that have different responsibilities (aka division of powers).

Provincial governments are in charge of things like education, health care and driving regulations. This is why rules about driving licences vary between provinces. Right now, the head of the BC provincial government is Premier Christy Clark. The federal (national) government is responsible for things like foreign relations, trade and Aboriginal affairs. The head of the federal government is Prime Minster Stephen Harper.

All Canadians have a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), who represents their area to the provincial government, and a Member of Parliament (MP), who represents their area to the federal government. Areas (called ridings or constituencies) are determined by population. The MLAs’ and MPs’ jobs are to take your concerns to government, represent your interests in debates and provide support services, like help with immigration and taxes. These officials are usually elected every four years.

Election candidates represent a political party. Whichever party has the most representatives in parliament wins; they get control of the government and their leader becomes PM or Premier. Each party has a platform, which explains what they believe in. We are coming to a BC election (May 14!), so I will be talking about the BC political parties. This is an important distinction because sometimes provincial and federal parties have the same names but are actually very different. For example, the BC Liberals are actually closer in platform to the federal Conservative party, than they are to the federal Liberals.

Over the next couple of weeks I am going to present the main BC political parties. I know that I am risking sounding too much like a Social Studies teacher and at this point you might be zoning out. So, in an attempt to remain interesting, and building on last week’s American Idol theme, I’m going to describe each party very briefly, then do a “judges’ opinion” in vintage Idol style.

This week we’ll start with the BC Liberals because they are the defending champions.

BC Liberals

http://www.bcliberals.com/

Leader: Christy Clark (current Premier of BC), career politician, former columnist and radio host.

Key Issues:

- Believes in promoting the private sector (dedicated to job creation, supporting small businesses and promoting BC trade, particularly to Asia.

- Families first philosophy (strong health care system, keeping commitments to seniors, fighting crime and strengthening public education)

- Open government (being transparent, using social media and open town hall style meetings)

Paula Abdul would say:

On the books, the BC Liberals have a solid record with the economy and most people have faith in their abilities to create jobs and manage public resources. The BC Liberals are experienced, optimistic and dedicated to strengthening our economy. As I’ve heard some people say, “I’m not totally happy with Christy and the BC Liberals, but what’s the alternative?” Can’t get a better endorsement than that!

Simon Cowell would say:

First of all, there are too many attack ads from the BC Liberals. Talk about your own platform, stop spending time criticizing other parties. Besides, those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. This party has been plagued with scandal: MLAs resigning, officials facing criminal charges and leaked documents with plans to spend tax payers’ money to recruit the “ethnic vote”. Plus, there have been too many administrative problems costing too much money; most recently the implementation of HST and the costly and time-consuming return to PST/GST.

Sounds like the BC Liberals should be spending more time singing and less time flirting with the voters. Some talent here, but it comes with lots of drama.  - Lisa